Wild Life
by Skepsis Forever
Summary: [AU] Slavers raid Persephone before Simon ever found Serenity. But fate isn't that easy to dodge, and River is still tied to the ship and its crew. Some OCs to compensate for the change in story.


It was a nice day on Persephone. People from all strata of society mingled in the market, travelers, rich and poor alike. As a border world, Persephone had everything one would want, if they had anything to buy with. And let it not be said that window-shopping wasn't on the _Serenity'_s girls' list to do on such a good day. Even Kaylee, in love with the engine room, saw no harm in joining Zoe and Inara in a run through town. What could possibly go wrong?

And then the alarms hit.

* * *

Simon was troubled. He didn't want to run around with his sister in a box all over Persephone to find a transport out, but neither was he willing to part with her unless he trusted those he left his "package" with. And these people seemed shady at best... Why had they helped him smuggle her out? Just for the money he payed? Or was it something far worse or sinister? Did they plan to use River against the Alliance? His mind worked overtime, analyzing the situation. He just wanted away, from the Alliance, Independents, Resistance, and whatever other type of organizations were out there. He just wanted to be free with his little sister from the madness of the world.

He was still pondering whether to leave or not the storage room, when the alarms sounded.

Malcolm Reynolds was feeling ambiguous right now, if he didn't find the word too grandious for his liking. On the one hand, he needed a relatively clean set of faces to get across the 'verse to take the eyes of any inspection and to distract him from the contraband he was smuggling. On the other hand, life was shaping out to be pretty good. It'd been years since he bought _Serenity_, sailing in the blue yonder only with his trusted Zoe - and that _go se _womanizer mechanic didn't even count for him no more as being there in the beginning. Along the way, he'd amassed some currency, enough to keep him fed and going, and a good crew. Three women who weren't a sore to either look at or talk to, one that he might have even liked, a loyal crew too, with some risk of fraternizing between them, but hell, he'd gotten out of that illusion of his when his pilot and his loyal soldier got hitched. Wash was loyal too, and Jayne... well, he'd take it as it'd come. A snake in the garden bushes to be sure, but as long as the merc would bite what Mal pointed at, he wasn't that dissatisfied of keeping him onboard. And if worse came to worst... well, he'd handle it like he handled most things.

That was all about to change. He felt that when the alarms sounded and hoped to whatever God was listening that his gut feeling wasn't right. He should have known better by now.

* * *

Five days ago, Laika was a prosperous business woman. Well, as much as human trafficking could be called "prosperous". It was, she thought with distaste, her bread and butter, and because of that she had to live with it. Still, she liked her little operation. She had a moon for herself, was feared, and nobody would risk angrying her. She knew her job wasn't especially reputable, but not as heinous as she heard the stories. Sure, there were unsavory types out there who she knew that if she gave them anyone, there were little chances of them ever seeing the light of day again, but as much of her work was benign. A colony in some forgotten parts of space would pull their gains together and buy the "transfer" of a core doctor, or good engineer, even workers in some more obscure and less useful skills in the core, but very useful or necessary here. Some just as miners to work for the payed miners. Hell, if they'd survived, they may even be getting half the money they deserved after five years and let to be made a living for themselves. Some would stay in their "indentured" work places for as long as they lived, accepting their new lives. She had even met a few who bought themselves out of the dump she put them in and had actually given _her_ jobs. She didn't really care either way, she didn't look down on them, there were no hard feelings except maybe with traitors. She both feared and hated traitors in her ranks, and often thought they would be the end of her if she didn't find ways to test them.

One such way finally came, completely independent of her though, and with devastating consequences. They'd proven loyal to a man and woman, not that that'd mattered.

Because she had made a reputation as the "tough Russian chick", she capitalized on it, going alone with hand-picked crew to meeting with other slavers.

From the ship's cargo holds, hands tied to the walls, Laika heard the alarms ringing. It might just be her chance out of there.

* * *

Shepard Book was on a quest. To discover who he truly was, what God requested of him and how he could make the world a better place. He had only the Good Book with him and a few belongings. He was out now to find transport to his abbey, or, who knew, a home.

God would give him a mission earlier than expected though. Of both old and new, to use his old skills for new people and new reasons.  
This became very clear to him as the alarm rang and chaos erupted in the dock.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Firefly or any characters from the series/franchise, nor do I make any profit out of this story.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I wanted to use one of these types of scenes forever now - in case you haven't notice, the kind that show multiple events at the same time all interrupted by a single event/alarm/catastrophy. I think if done right, it's awesome. I hope I did it justice, if not made it perfect. Maybe too short and abrupt from the starters, but still, it's the first time I did something like that.

The idea I've been having for a few months now, so it feels good to have it on virtual paper.

And so the scene is set.

Also, WIP, subject to change/content adding/removing from time to time.

Rated M for themes and safety.


End file.
